A near-death experience in a 7-year-old child.
M. Morse
A M A Journal of Diseases of Children October 1, 1983 DOI: 10.1001/archpedi.1983.02140360023008 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Case study Case report Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 1 |
| Population | A 7-year-old near-drowning victim |
| Topics | Near-death experience |
| Key findings | Reports a near-death experience in a 7-year-old near-drowning victim, with the core features typical of such experiences. The authors argue that pediatricians should be aware of the potential need for counseling in children who survive near-fatal events. |
Abstract
Near-death experiences occurring to persons who have survived near-terminal events, such as cardiac arrests or profound comas, have been widely reported in the lay literature; however, there is little documentation of such events in the medical literature. These experiences generally have a consistent core of euphoric affect, an out-of-the-body state, encountering a being of light, meeting others (especially dead relatives), and going from a dark tunnel to a world of light. This core remains consistently present despite wide variations in the religious or cultural background of the person. Such an event occurred to a 7-year-old near-drowning victim. Pediatricians should be alerted to the potential need for counseling in children who have survived near-fatal events.
Comparable studies
Other case reports and case series on near-death experience, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Near-Death Experiences in India Individuals in India who reported near-death experiences | 1986 | Case study | n = 16 |
| The Near-Death Experience as a Focus of Clinical Attention Patients presenting with near-death experience-related problems | 1997 | Case study | n = 4 |
| A prospectively studied near-death experience with corroborated out-of-body perceptions and unexplained healing. A person who had a near-death experience | 2006 | Case report | n = 1 |
| Verified account of near-death experience in a physician who survived cardiac arrest. A 32-year-old female physician experiencing childbirth | 2020 | Case study | n = 1 |
| This is your brain on death: a comparative analysis of a near-death experience and subsequent 5-Methoxy-DMT experience. An individual who had a near-death experience during a coma caused by bacterial... | 2023 | Case study | n = 1 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 8
- Childhood Near-Death Experiences Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine November 1, 1986
- The near-death experience in children: Shades of the prison-house reopening. Journal of Near-Death Studies 1983
- Explanation of near-death experiences: a systematic analysis of case reports and qualitative research. Frontiers in Psychology 2023
- A neuroscientific model of near-death experiences. Nature Reviews Neurology June 1, 2025
- Similarities between near-death experiences and multiple personality disorder. Journal of Near-Death Studies 1992
and 3 more in the library